Tram Museum, Paekakariki, 1967 (34249576626)

The Wellington Tramway Museum is located at Queen Elizabeth Park on the lower North Island of

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

, near the overbridge at McKay's Crossing between Paekakariki and

Paraparaumu Paraparaumu () is a town in the south-western North Island of New Zealand. It lies on the Kapiti Coast, north of the nation's capital city, Wellington. Like other towns in the area, it has a partner settlement at the coast called Paraparaumu Bea ...

Tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...

s have been in operation on a line through the park since 1965. The museum is from

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by metr ...

. The Trams owned by the museum date back to the 1920s and 1930s and were used on the

Wellington tramway system The Wellington tramway system (1878–1964) operated in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. The tramways were originally owned by a private company, but were purchased by the city and formed a major part of the city's transport system. Tra ...

between 1878 and 1964, transporting commuters around the city.

History

The museum maintains nearly of 4-foot (1219mm) gauge track in Queen Elizabeth Park, as well a fleet of trams from the closed Wellington system, several of which are currently operational with further examples in storage or undergoing restoration. The museum also owns an ex-Brisbane tram No.236 which is leased to the

Tramway Historical Society The Tramway Historical Society Inc. is located at the Ferrymead Heritage Park in the Christchurch, New Zealand suburb of Ferrymead and operates the standard gauge Ferrymead Tramway. Trams have operated at Ferrymead since 1968, with progressiv ...

of Christchurch, the body and chassis of a New Plymouth Birney tram which is on long-term loan to the Whanganui Tramways Trust, plus a small collection of diesel buses and trolley buses from Wellington and New Plymouth. The Museum previously owned ex-Brisbane "Dreadnought" tram No.133 (gifted to the Whanganui Tramways Trust in 2017) and the body and chassis only of ex-Wanganui tram No.8, also gifted to the Whanganui Tramways Trust. From 1969 to 1974,

Saul Goldsmith Abraham Saul Goldsmith (17 February 1911 – 4 November 1988) was an importer and merchant from Wellington, New Zealand. He was a foundation member of the National Party and was active at a local level. Goldsmith was also a noted chess player. ...

was president of the Tramway Museum.

Opening hours

The museum is open every Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 4.30pm (last tram 4pm), and on public holidays except for Christmas Day. After Christmas the museum opens daily from Boxing Day (26 December) to Wellington Anniversary Day in late January. The museum also opens with restricted hours throughout some school holidays, these dates being advertised on the Museum's website. During open hours tram rides are available in a heritage Wellington electric tram (nearly 4 kilometres return) and visitors are able to inspect the museum exhibits.

Wellington trams

70th Anniversary Memorial Day Celebration to remember the US Armed Forces in NZ 1942 – 1944 -70years (7282494998)

Camp Russell and Camp Mackay

The museum is on a part of the site of the US Marines' camps there between 1942 and 1944. A ceremony was held on Memorial Day 2012 among the trams very familiar to Marines visiting Wellington.

References

External links

Wellington Tramway Museum official website
Rail transport in Wellington Railway museums in New Zealand Heritage streetcar systems Kapiti Coast District Museums in the Wellington Region {{NewZealand-rail-transport-stub